China consumer rights group says KFC promotion encourages buying frenzy

BEIJING (Reuters) - A top Chinese consumer rights group on Wednesday urged the public to boycott a meal promotion by Yum China-operated KFC restaurants, which it said sent some consumers into a buying frenzy, wasting food.

KFC launched the promotion last week with Pop Mart, a Chinese toy maker known for its mystery boxes, which allowed customers to collect limited edition versions of large-eyed and round-faced Dimoo toy dolls when buying certain KFC meals.

This led to at least one consumer spending 10,494 yuan ($1,649) to buy 106 set meals at one go to collect the toys, the China Consumer Association said in a statement, describing it as "impulsive consumption".

Other people paid others to purchase meals for them, or just threw them away.

KFC "used limited-edition blind box sales to induce and condone consumers' irrational and excessive purchase of meal sets, which goes against public order, good customs and the spirit of the law," the association said.

Yum China and Pop Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

KFC launched the promotion to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the opening of its first outlet on the Chinese mainland. The mystery boxes have been a big trend, particularly among young people.

China in 2020 launched a major campaign against food wastage, spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, amid growing worries about food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the campaign it banned online influencers from binge eating on social media platforms, and also urged restaurant-goers not to order more than they can eat.

($1 = 6.3646 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jan Harvey)